The Three Choices For Your Next IT Project
Once a need or opportunity is defined for a business, the team that is tasked with developing the IT solution has three basic choices in terms of implementation. These choices are:
1) A packaged or off the shelf IT solution – A packaged solution is provided by an outside vendor in a basically complete format that allows for a small amount of customization. An example of a packaged solution would be a customer relationship management (CRM) suite that manages interactions with the business’ customers. These packages are usually cheaper than customized projects but are often under utilized by the people meant to use them. One advantage of these packages is that upgrading to newer versions and scaling for company growth can be easier than with a customized solution.
2) A custom-built solution - A customized IT solution can be tailored to address the specific needs of the business that a packaged solution might not be able to do. Building a customized solution can be more expensive and take longer to implement than packaged solutions due to expenses related to infrastructure, software development, and training.
3) A hybrid – A hybrid solution will be deployed with a combination of packaged products and customized components. This solution can deliver the benefits of both packaged and customized solutions at a cost that is usually less than a fully customized solution. Integration and implementation of a hybrid solution can usually be accomplished faster than a customized facility.
Deciding between these different solutions is a matter of defining the opportunity, the end goal and the available resources. With this information in hand, you’ll be on the way to implementing the best IT solution for your business’ needs.
1) A packaged or off the shelf IT solution – A packaged solution is provided by an outside vendor in a basically complete format that allows for a small amount of customization. An example of a packaged solution would be a customer relationship management (CRM) suite that manages interactions with the business’ customers. These packages are usually cheaper than customized projects but are often under utilized by the people meant to use them. One advantage of these packages is that upgrading to newer versions and scaling for company growth can be easier than with a customized solution.
2) A custom-built solution - A customized IT solution can be tailored to address the specific needs of the business that a packaged solution might not be able to do. Building a customized solution can be more expensive and take longer to implement than packaged solutions due to expenses related to infrastructure, software development, and training.
3) A hybrid – A hybrid solution will be deployed with a combination of packaged products and customized components. This solution can deliver the benefits of both packaged and customized solutions at a cost that is usually less than a fully customized solution. Integration and implementation of a hybrid solution can usually be accomplished faster than a customized facility.
Deciding between these different solutions is a matter of defining the opportunity, the end goal and the available resources. With this information in hand, you’ll be on the way to implementing the best IT solution for your business’ needs.